Affording an E30? Your thoughts and knowledge needed.

[coldweatherblue]

hey man i owned my first e30 from age 18 til 25 (from senior high school through college) and while I definitely did some work on the car it was nothing excessive. I was a waiter part time and in school full time so not much $$ either. Over the course of 6 years w/ my car I did basic maintenance (t-belt, water pump, inspection II) along with a couple other items that broke along the way (guibo, CSB, headgasket, front wheel bearings). overall not that bad..

The most important thing buying these cars is making sure you had a good PO. The car should have maintenance records and a decent amount of recent work done. As long as the car checks out (ie, straight body, good engine, no glaring issues) expecting an E30 to be decently reliable isn't out of the question. Of course you need to be willing to do some work yourself, hey as a ME student that should be a cake, right?

[Nick_S]

Just as an update, I'm looking at Ford Escort ZX2's. Found a '99 for $1900. Figure I will go as light a car as possible, latest year model, 5-speed, and two doors. Been reading that the ZX2 is reliable if you don't slam the trans all the time. Won't need it for too long, and when I go for my next car (E30!) I will probably have a much better budget.

NO. Don't get a ZX2, they're dreadful cars to drive. If going that route, you can get a higher mileage focus which are much better to drive and are a better chassis. Also with a ZX3 you have the utility of a hatch. The 2.0 zetec motor with a 5spd is fairly quick for what it is and will still average over 30mpg if you drive normally. Plus you can add the SVT suspension kit for like $250 and it makes it alot more nimble in the corners.

<--- Owned an SVT Focus for 7 years.

[SlamedIAm]

I'm a 25 y/o full time Architecture student so I understand the workload time/requirements you're probably dealing with in ME.

My advice would be to buy a honda/toyota for that budget and save for when you have time/money to afford a fun car on the side. I've had the luxury of having nearly everything within walking distance, friends that don't mind giving me a lift (including a few e30 guys to help wrench), and living with a girlfriend that has her own car. I bought a well sorted e30 for a price above your budget with a recently rebuilt motor and I've still had problems that would have severely hurt me if I didn't have a support system here.

Fuel pump dying, battery dying, electrical issues, vacuum leaks, cooling system, etc. These cars are 20+ years old so even a well sorted one could still have a problem or two waiting to strike. If your budget is stretched to the point that you aren't sure if you can pay for school full time you don't want to be wondering whether your car is going to pop up with an unexpected expense.

E30's are a lot of fun. I daily mine and I intend to do so for years to come but without some kind of cushion for time/money or access to another vehicle I think you're asking for trouble.

[F34R]

buy an eta. change the timing belt and focus on school

This^ I still have my ETA from 2007 that has had a coil, spark plugs and basic maintenance done. Bought it for 1k and have maybe sunk 700 into over the years for parts.

My parents bought it off me and it is still going strong, replaced the suspension from deals on r3v for 300 and that is it. So far 2k including the car since '07. Granted I do all the repairs for nothing. I started like everyone, with a set of tools and trial and error. At the time I had a use of a computer from the library. Access to a forum was when all else failed, now computers are easy to come by and most cell phones can surf the interwebz.

I got my first e30 in late 2002, been a blast over the long years of owning these awesome machines. Get a solid running ETA and a set of tools: basic 8mm-22mm, screw drivers, few wrenches and a breaker bar with ratchets. Harbor Freight Jack and a pair of stands. You will be in it for under 600 for well made tools. Buy the Craftsman basic for 180ish and get the bar and jack stands. Then buy whatever tools you need as you go.

Good luck

[87e30]

Someone mentioned that owning an e30 is a lifestyle. I think this is a key point.

I owned my e30 and swapped it along with a ton of other work in the beginning college. It was my life at times. I got sick of that and sold it. For me, I didn't depend on it for transportation so that made it possible. It's just not a smart car for someone facing the workload that you're going to be. (and that's a good thing) There were many times I had to borrow cars or take the bus with my e30. Many times...

Honda's are honestly a lot of fun for the money... A lot of people don't realize that "basic maintenance" means VERY different things on e30s vs civics lol


Also for all of those with dead reliable ETAs (that's great)... I don't consider an eta fun to drive or worth the work honestly. E30s really shine when modded... stock etas not so much.

[F34R]

Also for all of those with dead reliable ETAs (that's great)... I don't consider an eta fun to drive or worth the work honestly. E30s really shine when modded... stock etas not so much.

Nope, I have owned an eta for 11 years. They are great fun, and very quick in SCCA. Then again that is a huge part on the driver.

The b27i conversion can be done dirt cheap with a junk yard and a weekend. Then you have best of both worlds!

[87e30]

Nope, I have owned an eta for 11 years. They are great fun, and very quick in SCCA. Then again that is a huge part on the driver.

The b27i conversion can be done dirt cheap with a junk yard and a weekend. Then you have best of both worlds!

Oh it's a capable track car. But for me a stock eta is somewhat miserable as you just want to do more and more to it. It's a slippery entry into the e30 world of modding. I think it's unrealistic for most people to buy a cheap eta and stay satisfied with it after spending time on this site and learning to wrench.

* I started with an eta and very basic mechanical skills... I ended with an s50 swap, coilovers, e36 rack, etc etc etc so maybe it's just me lol

[Heir2Air]

NO. Don't get a ZX2, they're dreadful cars to drive. If going that route, you can get a higher mileage focus which are much better to drive and are a better chassis. Also with a ZX3 you have the utility of a hatch. The 2.0 zetec motor with a 5spd is fairly quick for what it is and will still average over 30mpg if you drive normally. Plus you can add the SVT suspension kit for like $250 and it makes it alot more nimble in the corners.

<--- Owned an SVT Focus for 7 years.

Good thing is, the only other car I have driven for any real extended period of time is my mom's 2003 Mazda Tribute. I think the Focus SVT/ZX3 looks good, but the Focus wagon no so much. Sadly, wagons are all I see. No SVT's in my price range currently on CL, and I could have this car as soon as early next week. But I will keep the suggestion in mind. Also, parts for ZX2/ZX3 are all cheap from what folks have been saying, so I would be able to get some performance improvements regardless. And again, I have nothing but a stock 03 Tribute and my sisters 2010 Jeep Compass to compare it against.

Oh, I was looking at Neons as well. But I think I'd rather have the ZX2. Any other cars I should be looking out for?

[LivingLegend06]

I put 50k miles on a $900 E30 over the course of four years while only spending about $250 on maintenance in that time ($200 of that was for brakes). I bought the car when I was broke and going to school for a ME degree.

Any car can be extremely reliable or unreliable, just make sure that whatever you buy is in good shape to begin with or you will be fighting a losing battle.

[GillesBigCowboy]

Buy a Hondota is really the advice for this guy?
I'd say buy an e30 and/or a decent bike and/or scooter.
All my e30s have been very reliable, and if you are a car enthusiast, you should get a car that you will enjoy driving. Maybe you will have some maintenance headaches, but you're an engineer! Just fix it, and keep driving.

[Heir2Air]

Honestly, I would love to be able to work on my car when things go south or to just do routine maintenance. The problem isn't my unwillingness, its my availability. This summer may possibly be busier than the school year simply because I will have two jobs and a class. But once the fall semester starts, I will have 14-17 credit hours and be working 20-40hrs a week. I can't afford to not master what I am being taught. I refuse to not master what I am being taught. But do not fret, good people of r3vlimited (lol), an E30 is in my future. I appreciate all of the thoughts as they did indeed help me come to a sensible conclusion. I will more than likely buy the ZX2 by Tuesday.

[Threehz]

I flew to LA, bought an E30 I had never seen in person from a guy I had never met, and drove it 500+ miles back home on a Saturday in the middle of a semester of school.

A year and half later I can easily say it is the single best purchase I have ever made and one of the best decisions I've made in my life.

People have tried talking me out of following my dreams my entire life, and I've learned it's much better to make dumb mistakes doing what you want than to miss a golden opportunity.

Come back to r3v when you grow some balls son.

[87e30]

People have tried talking me out of following my dreams my entire life, and I've learned it's much better to make dumb mistakes doing what you want than to miss a golden opportunity.

I agree. I did some crazy things with/around e30s while in college too. I also didn't have the same requirements as the OP. I didn't rely on my car for livelihood and I didn't work 40 hr weeks on top of school... not sure about your position but cut the guy some slack.

[mikracer]

OP should also understand that most people on this forum are fanatical about their car. Changing certain parts because they simply don't like it rather than a necessity to change the part happens a lot on here. Any car might have some quirks, but if you can live with them and it doesn't effect the reliability of the car, then you should be good to go.

[SlamedIAm]

I flew to LA, bought an E30 I had never seen in person from a guy I had never met, and drove it 500+ miles back home on a Saturday in the middle of a semester of school.

A year and half later I can easily say it is the single best purchase I have ever made and one of the best decisions I've made in my life.

People have tried talking me out of following my dreams my entire life, and I've learned it's much better to make dumb mistakes doing what you want than to miss a golden opportunity.

Come back to r3v when you grow some balls son.

That's great it worked out for you but isn't a realistic situation for a lot of people (OP included). Not sure what exactly this topic has to do with following dreams or growing balls. If anything toughing it out through school for a career he aspires for is more relevant to following one's dreams than buying an e30 and hoping it makes it home.